Verdict
The FiiO KB3 is an excellent mechanical keyboard for both enthusiasts and audiophiles specially . It ’s fabulously well - made while offering a responsive additive experience and a beefy DAC for powering earpiece . VIA software financial support is welcome for lots of customisation , too . It may not be a wireless pick , but it is nonetheless antic .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
FiiO is n’t a company known for making computer peripheral equipment , but the new FiiO KB3 may well just be the idealistic introduction for the audio brand .
The Formosan manufacturer has taken some of its expertise in audio equipment such as excellent speakers , DAPs and headphone , and throw up it into the chassis of an enthusiast - grade mechanically skillful keyboard which is rather singular among its contemporaries , descend with a DAC built - in .
At £ 139/$149/€169 , it ’s quite reasonably priced too , sitting well in the mix with other top contenders such as theLemokey P1 Proand theDrop Shift V2while offering some fantastic feature article for the Mary Leontyne Price . Whether it ’s one of thebest mechanical keyboardswe’ve tested though remains to be seen – I ’ve been testing it to line up out .
Design
The KB3 , much like its contemporary , is a thick slab of metal and plastic , offering a atomic number 12 aluminium metal top plate with a textured plastic figure at a lower place . It ’s a stalwart ‘ board , especially thanks to the alloy top plate stand for there ’s no deck of cards flex to speak of , while the 1.06 kg weight unit offer up slew of massiveness for a keyboard of its size of it .
As with other enthusiast - level options from the likes of Keychron , the KB3 offers a 75 percentage layout that both saves space and is functional to use . It comes with ready to hand addition such as arrow key , a single - height nav bunch and a office row , while propose less of a footmark than a big TKL layout . It ’s for that reason that it ’s such a popular layout among enthusiast , alongside the slimly small 65 percent .
Combined with the 75 percent layout , FiiO ’s keyboard also lend the welfare of a volume bike on the right hand side , which is tactual and one of the best dials fit to a keyboard .
Otherwise , the left-hand side is where the DAC inputs sit , while the back is habitation to a two port USB - A hub for connecting depleted power devices . The DAC is especially interesting , as it signals an carrefour between mechanical keyboard enthusiasts and audiophiles , while the two port USB - A hub is a welcome increase , as it seems to be a feature of speech lose in clip otherwise .
The KB3 ’s keycaps make for an interesting flair , too . Unlike other gaming keyboards with effulgence - through fable , the ABS keycaps here are entirely semitransparent , allowing for even more of the backlighting below to beam through . For the KB3 ’s brilliant aesthetics and flavour , it works a kickshaw but hampers the legibility of the clean legends on them . In some lighting environments , the legends are barely visible , which means it is n’t the easiest keyboard to use in billet .
On the plus side though , the KB3 comes with three-fold - print legend for Windows and macOS use , while there is a small sector of lock lights next to the nav cluster for Caps and Num Lock , as well as for which OS is in use . The port around the back is simple too , as there is a USB - C port for pumped operation as well as the USB hub .
It is potential to get the KB3 without the DAC , and instead with a 4000mAh barrage for wireless operation . With this model , it sacrifices the jacks on the remaining side , and swaps out the USB hub for switches for toggle between operating systems and connectivity methods .
The keyboard itself fare in a composition board loge with foam inside for packing , although the top of it is protect by a plastic cover , and the bundled accouterment such as a cable and a keycap and switch puller are in their own individual plastic grip . That is n’t of necessity the best for the environment , unlike the rivalry .
Performance
Regardless of strain , the FiiO KB3 offer one electrical switch option – Gateron G Pro 3.0 Yellows – which are a slightly heavier additive switch with a 50 g actuation force-out and a 67 g bottom out . They feel responsive under finger and are some of the dear linear switch I ’ve test in recent years with a consistent , snappy impression across all switches .
The switches also amount pre - lubed , which lend to their buttery smooth feeling , although if you do n’t like them , then they can be switch out with comfort as the KB3 is hot - swappable . This mean you’re able to swap switch in and out almost at will with no necessity for bonding or re - soldering , and with the wad transposition and keycap tugger , it ’s straightforward .
Acoustically , the KB3 impressment too with no casing ping or rattling , and a inscrutable audio . There is also little in the room of primal wobble with the Gateron G Pro 3.0 Yellow switches either , which is pleasant to see . While this is a gasket - mounted keyboard , in keeping with other New mechanically skillful selection , it is n’t as bouncy as some others , leading to a more unbending tactile property .
The other bountiful thing here is the DAC that the KB3 features . It offers both 3.5 mm single - ended and 4.4 millimetre balanced output with up to 550mW of power on pass ( that ’s on the balanced output signal – the single - ended is only 170mW ) . This intend it can power even notoriously fiddly headphones to run such as Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pros without twist its muscles too much .
I tested it with both a twosome ofGrado Hempsand Drop x Sennheiser HD6XXs , and it crop a delicacy . The Sennheisers are notoriously fiddly to run with a 300 - ohm impedance , and the KB3 worked like a title-holder , function up productive and detailed audio with both standard streamed tracks through Spotify and hi - res local file . fundamentally , the incorporate CS43131 DACs and SGM8262 op - amps intend the KB3 features FiiO ’s own pocketable KA13 DAC inside , which is an excellent performer on its own and is deserving £ 70 or so – that makes the entire keyboard worth the same , which is incredible note value for money .
Elsewhere , this is a pumped keyboard , so there ’s no need to worry about pairing or battery life , and have the extra USB - A ports was useful for connecting the pass receiver for myLogitech MX Master 3S , unblock up one of the port on my PC , and I even had another embrasure to play with afterwards , too .
Software and Lighting
The KB3 utilise QMK firmware and VIA for its software - drive customisation , much like a lot of other mechanically skillful keyboards in and around this price , such as alternative from Drop and Keychron . This allows for some seriously versatile customisation for remapping winder and assign functions across several different layer , and while there is n’t per - cardinal configuration of RGB inflammation , the 19 different presets on offer give the KB3 a foul look .
For its lighting , the KB3 ’s RGB is graphic and shines through exceedingly well thanks to the semitransparent keycaps . The lack of per - key control is a piece of a pity , but otherwise , it ’s brilliant and vibrant . The only downside here is the reduced legibility of fable , but if you deform the lighting down , then it becomes less of an takings .
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Should you buy it?
The KB3 do with a powerful DAC deep down for scarper headphones without the want for the onboard audio in your PC , or a separate adenosine monophosphate , and if that ’s what you need , then the KB3 offers it , as well as being an first-class mechanically skillful keyboard anyway .
If , for whatever reason , the motive for a DAC in your keyboard is n’t a top priority , then the competition offers more functional choice with wireless connectivity for around the same price as the KB3 .
Final Thoughts
The FiiO KB3 furnish a answer to quite a niche problem by adding a beefy DAC into a mechanical keyboard . It at least offers an idealistic Cartesian product for the intersection of keyboard enthusiast and audiophiles , and while it is a morsel on the more minute in terms of its focussed interview , anyone can really savor its splendid .
This is a mechanically skillful ‘ circuit board that acquire most things right with responsive lubricate switches , as well as a sturdy construction and interesting flavour to specify it aside from the competition , for the most part thanks to its translucent keycaps . Its DAC inside is a capable one , specially with its balanced outturn , and incorporate it within a keyboard is an clever melodic theme for reduce cable television clutter and needless machine sit around on your desk . The software desegregation with VIA is fantabulous , too .
Of course , the KB3 is n’t without its small issue , such as the legibility of its legend and the presence of more farinaceous customisation for the RGB lighting .
Against the likes of the Lemokey P1 Pro and Keychron ’s Q1 Pro , FiiO ’s choice is a alone selection which trades wireless connectivity for a beefy DAC . Even then , there is a wireless version of this available , and it ’s cheesy than the contender , too . FiiO ’s KB3 is the interesting choice for mechanical keyboard nerd and audiophiles likewise , and you ’ll be hard pressed to find this much powerful hardware in a keyboard for the same money elsewhere . For more options , check out our list of thebest mechanical keyboardswe’ve tested .
Trusted Score
How we test
We use every keyboard we test for at least a week . During that time , we ’ll discipline it for ease of use and put it through its paces by play a miscellany of different genres , include FPS , scheme and MOBAs .
We also check each keyboard ’s software package to see how wanton it is to customise and set up .
FAQs
The FiiO KB3 come with a 75 pct layout with 81 key , although is only available in ANSI US layout , as pit to ISO for UK drug user .
The FiiO KB3 works with VIA , as well as offering flashable microcode with QMK support for an undecided - source solution .
Test Data
Full Specs
